Super 8: Super Bowl Trailer Breakdown and J.J. Abrams Gives Major Plot Details

We got our first video footage of Paramount and Bad Robot’s Super 8 last night during the Super Bowl, and it was a lot to process in 30 seconds. Fortunately, the trailer has been uploaded to Apple.com, so we can dissect it in glorious HD. Check out our 20 high-res images taken from the trailer after the break, as well as J.J. Abrams actually giving some juicy details on the plot that help make the trailer make sense.

The trailer had a lot of explosions and worried looks, but you can definitely get a feel for the setting (Ohio in 1979) and genre. Below are some of the more interesting images from the 30 second spot, including the final three projector images that may be a clue in the viral campaign (click each for full size).

Two of the last images have a bulletin board, but it is hard to make out what exactly is on it. The other image has what looks to be “November 19, 1962” upside down (or another “mber” month), though the date has no significance to the ARG so far. Can you make anything out of interest?

Abrams Talks Super 8

If the images and trailer still don’t make sense, director and co-producer J.J. Abrams is here to help. Abrams talked to Hero Complex about the film and gave us some info to help us understand the film and why he likes secrecy.

Abrams explained that he prefers to keep the audience in the dark for artistic purposes, but realizes that with such big titles to compete against, that’s not really a possibility if they want the movie to be successful.

“To me, all people need to know is that it’s an adventure about a small town and it’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s scary and there’s a mystery: What is this thing that has escaped? What are the ramifications of its presence? And what is the effect on people? But I know that’s not enough. Look, I feel we need a little bit of a coming-out party because we are up against massive franchises and brands and most people don’t know what ‘Super 8′ means. We’re a complete anomaly in a summer of huge films … and we don’t want to be so silent or coy that people don’t care or don’t hear about it.”

We know the film will have the feel of the old Steven Spielberg sci-fi films of the 70s and 80s, especially with Spielberg himself co-producing, and Abrams echoed that sentiment when talking about Super 8’s genre.

“As the process went along I realized I had the potential makings of my favorite sort of movie, which is the one that is the hardest genre to define,” Abrams said. “That because you could say — and be right — that it’s a science fiction movie; or you could say — and be right — that it’s a love story; or you could say — and be right — that it’s a comedy; or you could say — and be right — that it’s a special-effects spectacle. That sort of cocktail is for me what I love about movies…that was the beginnings of this movie coming together.”

So, what is this film really about? Again, Hero Complex has the goods with a full description.

The Paramount Pictures release is set in Ohio in 1979 and introduces a troupe of six youngsters who are using a Super 8 camera to make their own zombie movie. One fateful night, their project takes them to a lonely stretch of rural railroad tracks and, as the camera rolls, calamity strikes — a truck collides with an oncoming locomotive and a hellacious derailment fills the night with screaming metal and raining fire. Then something emerges from the wreckage, something decidedly inhuman.

“This is a movie about overcoming loss and finding your way again and finding your own voice,” Abrams said. “A boy whose lost his mother and the man whose lost his wife. There’s this father who, because of the era, never really had to be the parent. He’s a good man, he works hard, he’s a deputy in the town, but he’s never stepped up as father.”

So, that surprisingly explains a lot. The beginning of the trailer seems pretty straight forward. We see the kids and the incident early in the trailer, but what happens after is still a mystery, as it should be. Abrams goes on to talk about working with kids for the first time, so be sure to read the entire Hero Complex article for that.


Super 8 opens in theaters and IMAX on June 10th. Are you more excited for the film now?

UPDATE

2/7/11 02:44 PM
I’ve been hearing a theory regarding the one image from the lens that I didn’t post (of course). To me, it didn’t look like anything of note, but the Internetz are buzzing with the theory that you can actually catch a glimpse of the monster. Of course, I still think it’s people’s imaginations running wild just like all the times we thought we saw the Cloverfield monster in various advertising. Take a look for yourself and let us know what you see: